Rice Cereal

As we are quickly approaching Ben's 6-month birthday, I have been mentally preparing for the start of "real food".  My mom bought me a Baby Bullet, as I am planning to make Ben's food for him instead of purchasing jarred food at the store. 

The plan was to wait until the day after his 6 month birthday, this coming Sunday, but his behavior this weekend made me feel the need to get started earlier.  Ben has seemed VERY hungry, much more so than usual, the past couple of days.  He was wanting to eat again about an hour after nursing, and seemingly is not entirely satisfied after each feeding.  A few times, while sitting on my lap, he has performed a very attractive move we now call the "vampire" - him opening his mouth and taking a face dive towards my chest, neck, face, etc. - so it became clear that it was time to take the next step.

Today I prepared a little bowl of organic whole grain rice cereal mixed with breast milk, (with a very high milk to cereal ratio), sat him in his Bumbo chair, and gave it a try.  He seemed interested in getting the spoon in his mouth (as he likes to put everything in his mouth right now), but when he realized that it was food/milk on the spoon, he seemed a little confused.  The picture above (top, right), is the face he makes every time I would attempt to put a pacifier in his mouth, and the face he used to make when offered a bottle. 

The good news is that he didn't spit the cereal out, so I know that some of it must have been digested.  We are going to practice a few more times with cereal this week and probably work his first vegetable in on Friday night.

I cannot say I am "excited" about this new milestone, as it is just another example of my baby growing out of the baby stage, but it clearly is something that needs to happen - and hopefully one he will enjoy! :)